Datablog + Free our data | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog+technology/free-our-data
Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2017Tue, 26 Sep 2017 23:26:00 GMT2017-09-26T23:26:00Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2017The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
The Shakespeare review: what's the future of UK open data?https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/may/15/uk-open-data-stephan-shakespeare
Stephan Shakespeare, CEO of YouGov, has published his independent review into open government data in the UK. What's he said, what's he missed, and what will it mean?<p>The UK is the world leader on open government data, according to YouGov CEO and Open Data Strategy Board chair Stephan Shakespeare, but needs to avoid being the "boffins ... we generate the excitement but don't mint the money".</p><p>The finding is one of the core messages of The Shakespeare Review, a government-commissioned report on what should happen next with opening up government data for the benefit of government, business and (of course) citizens.</p><p>[T]he perfect should not be the enemy of the good: a simultaneous 'publish early even if imperfect' imperative AND a commitment to a 'high quality core'. This twin-track policy will maximise the benefit within practical constraints. It will reduce the excuses for poor or slow delivery; it says 'get it all out and then improve'.</p><p><br>There should be clear leadership for driving the implementation of the National Data Strategy throughout the public sector. There are many committees, boards, overseers and champions of data; but no easily understood, easily accessed, influential mechanism for making things happen.</p><p>One would be hard-pressed to find any expert who, asked to create new structures for core reference data from scratch, would advocate the current Trading Fund model in today's world of open data ...</p><p>But we are not starting afresh, and we have, in the Trading Funds, organisations of high quality which one should hesitate to disrupt ... [but] that does not mean we should not press hard for significant adaptation of the model to the new potential for open data.</p><p>No method, including traditional non-digital information storage, is proof against determined wrong-doers. We do not require builders to only build houses that cannot be burgled. We do our best and impose consequences on the burglar not the builder. </p><p>We currently have an unrealistic degree of expectation of any data controller to perfectly protect all our data - an attitude that inhibits innovation. Following 'best practice' guidelines should be enough, so long as we are willing to prosecute those who misuse personal data.</p><p>At the moment, the USA invests massively more than us and continuously reaps the benefits in world-leading business applications of science and technology; yet Britain is capable of being first in this field, given our expertise in data science and the fact we have large, coherent datasets. For example, nowhere in the world has such good health data, due to the scale of the NHS as a single provider. There is huge potential here for building social and economic value if we are willing to invest smartly.</p><p>Where there is a clear public interest in wide access to privately generated data, then there is a strong argument for transparency (for example in publishing all trials of new medicines) ... </p><p>A company working with government should be willing to share information about activity in public-private partnerships, as information about activity in public-private partnerships held by private companies is not currently subject to the Freedom of Information Act. This could be greatly enhanced without the need for legislation by creating a field in procurement forms asking for the company's open data policy regarding the sought contract.</p><p>Stephan's excellent review shows how government and business can work together and create new business opportunities. Encouraging business innovation through open data could transform public services and policy making to be more efficient, timely and effective.</p><p>We warmly welcome the review and will look at the recommendations carefully to see how they could be implemented to enable wider access to public sector information so that we can strike the right balance between affordability, data security and value for money.</p><p>This is the time to be bold and ambitious. What happens now on the back of this report is crucial in unlocking the value of open data. If the Government is serious about making data open, it has to be made available and fast.</p><p>Getting more data released quickly, without agonising over quality concerns, is an excellent recommendation and we look forward to seeing this in practice. Alongside this we welcome the demand for high quality information in the National Core Reference Data plan, including key entity data; such reference data, following clear open standards, will transform what can be done with UK data. The request that Trading Funds should remove restrictive PSI licensing and work towards releasing all raw data for use and reuse is particularly warmly welcomed.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/may/15/uk-open-data-stephan-shakespeare">Continue reading...</a>Data journalismTransparencyGovernment dataFreedom of informationFree our dataWed, 15 May 2013 14:53:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/may/15/uk-open-data-stephan-shakespearePhotograph: guardian.co.ukStephan Shakespeare is chief executive of YouGov and chair of the Open Data Strategy Board. What's he advocating? Photograph: guardian.co.ukPhotograph: guardian.co.ukStephan Shakespeare is chief executive of YouGov and chair of the Open Data Strategy Board. What's he advocating? Photograph: guardian.co.ukJames Ball2013-05-15T14:53:00ZWant the data on where HS2 will be? You won't get it from data.gov.ukhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/may/02/hs2-routes-data-transparency
If you want the data on the proposed routes for the new High Speed 2 line, you need to go to a small campaigning blog. Why, asks Sheffield University's Alasdair Rae<p>Great progress has been made in the quest to open up government data in recent years. Publicly funded data sets that were once locked away from public view are in many cases now available to the general public, academics, analysts and journalists alike. </p><p>The Guardian Datablog in particular has pioneered the use of these open datasets and often raised awareness of important matters of public interest by analysing, visualising and mapping them. For example, The Guardian's use of open data in examining <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/aug/10/poverty-riots-mapped">the English riots of 2011</a> provided a depth and breadth of insight that only a few years ago would have been impossible. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/may/02/hs2-routes-data-transparency">Continue reading...</a>HS2Rail transportFree our dataFreedom of informationThu, 02 May 2013 16:16:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/may/02/hs2-routes-data-transparencyPhotograph: HS2/PAPart of the planned HS2 route, which will connect Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. Photograph: HS2/PAPhotograph: HS2/PAPart of the planned HS2 route, which will connect Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. Photograph: HS2/PAAlasdair Rae2013-05-02T16:16:00ZMeet the man who turned David Cameron onto open datahttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/30/rohan-silva-interview-david-cameron-open-data
<strong>Interview:</strong> If you're not in Downing Street you may never have heard of Rohan Silva. But this key advisor to Britain's Prime Minister is also responsible for helping create Britain's transparent open data regime. As he prepares to leave Westminster, this is his first full interview<p>"We will unleash a tsunami of data." </p><p>This was a quote from a "government source" I <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/may/24/data-journalism">reported back in May 2010</a>. It was written just after the Coalition had been formed, and had promised a new era of open data and transparency. This was also a year after we launched the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">Guardian Datablog</a>. Following on from the <a href="http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/">Free Our Data campaign</a>, we called for government data to be open transparent and available. </p><p>A true radical is leaving the building - perhaps one of the last</p><p>"It is the mother lode for central government," says Rufus Pollock, the director of the Open Knowledge Foundation and one of those behind <a href="http://wheredoesmymoneygo.org/">Where Does My Money Go?</a> – a site that breaks down government spending. He says it could change local reporting for journalists. "The big deal with Coins is that when you get a figure like £6bn-worth of cuts it is useful, but what you really want to know is much more granular – how much is spent on police in your parish, for instance. Coins is that kind of data – the lowest and most granular level that government collects."</p><p>No government data shall be released unless its quality can be assured</p><p>• Historic COINS spending data to be published online in June 2010.<br>• All new central government ICT contracts to be published online from July 2010.<br>• All new central government lender documents for contracts over £10,000 to be published on a single website from September 2010, with this information to be made available to the public free of charge.<br>• New items of central government spending over £25,000 to be published online from November 2010.<br>• All new central government contracts to be published in full from January 2011.<br>• Full information on all DFID international development projects over £500 to be published online from January 2011, including financial information and project documentation.<br>• New items of local government spending over £500 to be published on a council-by-council basis from January 2011.<br>• New local government contracts and tender documents for expenditure over £500 to be published in full from January 2011.<br>• Crime data to be published at a level that allows the public to see what is happening on their streets from January 2011.<br>• Names, grades, job titles and annual pay rates for most Senior Civil Servants with salaries above £150,000 to be published in June 2010.<br>• Names, grades, job titles and annual pay rates for most Senior Civil Servants and NDPB officials with salaries higher than the lowest permissible in Pay Band 1 of the Senior Civil Service pay scale to be published from September 2010.<br>• Organograms for central government departments and agencies that include all staff positions to be published in a common format from October 2010.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/30/rohan-silva-interview-david-cameron-open-data">Continue reading...</a>Government dataPoliticsUK newsDavid CameronGeorge OsborneFree our dataTechnologyData journalismMediaCoins (Combined Online Information System)Tax and spendingTue, 30 Apr 2013 11:11:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/30/rohan-silva-interview-david-cameron-open-dataPhotograph: GuardianRohan Silva Photograph: GuardianPhotograph: GuardianRohan Silva Photograph: GuardianSimon Rogers2013-04-30T11:11:09ZLive debate video: Can government data change the world?https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/29/can-government-data-change-the-world-post-event-video
We brought together a leading panel of open data experts, including a government minister, the man in charge of data.gov.uk and an open data campaigner. Our panellists, chaired by Datastore editor <strong>Simon Rogers</strong> debated the power of open data, the government's role and what should happen to postcode addresses. Watch it here<br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2013/mar/28/government-data-change-world">Read more about the panel</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/29/can-government-data-change-the-world-post-event-video">Continue reading...</a>Free our dataGovernment dataTechnologyPoliticsTransparencyMon, 29 Apr 2013 08:44:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/29/can-government-data-change-the-world-post-event-videoPhotograph: guardian.co.ukCan government data change the world post event video
Photograph: guardian.co.ukPhotograph: guardian.co.ukCan government data change the world post event video
Photograph: guardian.co.ukArun Marsh2013-04-29T08:44:00ZDoing good with data: why Datakind is launching in the UKhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/25/datakind-launching-uk
US organisation Datakind - which joins developers with charities - is starting up in the UK. <strong>Kaitlin Thaney</strong> explains why<p>"If you don't have data, you're just another person with an opinion." - Benita Refson, Chief Executive at Place2Be</p><p>You don't have to look too far (or too hard, really) to spot a story using the phrase "big data". Companies big and small are using data to better optimize their internal practices; governments are making more of their data available for the public to innovate upon; startups are sprouting up faster than one can keep track of to create the next app, analytics platform or storage solution. The sudden availability of data and lower barriers to using it means companies of all shapes and sizes are harnessing data to better understand the information they're generating and using it to their competitive advantage.</p><p>We're witnessing a movement here. People want to use their tech skills for the greater good and we're thrilled to be bringing that opportunity to the vibrant data community in the UK. London's Tech City is growing, the government is deeply invested in data innovation, and the not-for-profit sector is so active that there's just limitless opportunity to do great work there. We couldn't be happier that some of our brightest friends in the UK data scene are leading the charge</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/25/datakind-launching-uk">Continue reading...</a>Free our dataInternetCharitiesSocietyGovernment dataPoliticsVoluntary sectorThu, 25 Apr 2013 08:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/25/datakind-launching-ukPhotograph: Jake PorwayDatakind's data dive in London in 2012. Photograph: Jake PorwayPhotograph: Jake PorwayDatakind's data dive in London in 2012. Photograph: Jake PorwayKaitlin Thaney2013-04-25T08:30:00ZHistory of data journalism at the Guardian | Videohttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/history-of-data-journalism-video
Think data journalism is brand new - and didn't exist before 2009? Think again. Journalists have been working with - and visualising - data since the Guardian first published in 1821. In the second part of our documentary on data journalism, <strong>Simon Rogers</strong> reports on its history at the Guardian<br />• <a href="http://bit.ly/10seJDp">Part 1: what is data journalism?</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/data-journalism-olympics-medal-video">Part 3: data journalism and the London Olympics</a><br /><br /><strong>• <a href="http://bit.ly/11oqDjh">Buy Facts are Sacred from the Guardian Bookshop</a></strong> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/history-of-data-journalism-video">Continue reading...</a>Data journalismMediaData visualisationsTechnologyFree our dataThe GuardianThu, 04 Apr 2013 06:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/history-of-data-journalism-videoPhotograph: guardian.co.ukGuardian graphic historyPhotograph: guardian.co.ukGuardian graphic historySimon Rogers and Andy Gallagher2013-04-04T06:01:00ZWhat is data journalism at the Guardian? | Videohttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/what-is-data-journalism-video
How do we practice data journalism at the Guardian? In the first of a three-part video documentary, journalists and experts including <strong>Simon Rogers</strong>, <strong>Paul Lewis</strong>, <strong>David McCandless</strong> and <strong>Mariana Santos</strong> explain what data journalism means to them<br />• <a href="http://bit.ly/Z9m5s9">Part 2: history of data journalism</a><br />• <a href="http://bit.ly/YTN9PU">Part 3: data journalism and the London Olympics</a><br /><br /><strong>• <a href="http://bit.ly/11oqDjh">Buy Facts are Sacred from the Guardian Bookshop</a></strong> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/what-is-data-journalism-video">Continue reading...</a>Data journalismMediaData visualisationsTechnologyFree our dataThe GuardianThu, 04 Apr 2013 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/video/2013/apr/04/what-is-data-journalism-videoPhotograph: guardian.co.ukSimon Rogers, editor of guardian.co.uk/datablog Photograph: guardian.co.ukPhotograph: guardian.co.ukSimon Rogers, editor of guardian.co.uk/datablog Photograph: guardian.co.ukSimon Rogers and Andy Gallagher2013-04-04T06:00:00ZWhy data matters at the Guardian | Alan Rusbridgerhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/04/data-journalism-guardian-rusbridger
In his forward for Facts are Sacred, Guardian's editor-in-chief <strong>Alan Rusbridger</strong> explains how data is changing journalism<br />• <a href="http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?ISBN=9780571301614&amp;INTCMP=mic_929">Buy the book with a Guardian discount</a><p>Data is spoken of as a new phenomenon, one of the information era, and one at the core of revolutionising digital industries, finance and commerce - but at its core it is little more than a term for the aggregation of facts.</p><p>As this, it is something that has been at the core of the Guardian for the full duration of its 190-year history, from a data table published on the front page of the Manchester Guardian's very first edition, to the quote from legendary Guardian editor C P Scott for which this book is named – that "facts are sacred".</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/04/data-journalism-guardian-rusbridger">Continue reading...</a>Data visualisationsData journalismMediaTechnologyFree our dataThu, 04 Apr 2013 05:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/apr/04/data-journalism-guardian-rusbridgerPhotograph: GuardianFacts are sacredPhotograph: GuardianFacts are sacredAlan Rusbridger2013-04-04T05:30:00ZCompetition: visualise open government data and win $2,000https://www.theguardian.com/news/2013/feb/12/government-data-free-our-data
What can you do with the thousands of open government datasets? With <strong>Google</strong> and <strong>Open Knowledge Foundation</strong> we are launching a competition to find the best dataviz out there. You might even win a prize<p>Governments around the world are releasing a tidal wave of open data - on everything from spending through to crime and health. Now you can compare national, regional and city-wide data from hundreds of locations around the world.</p><p>But how good is this data? We want to see what you can do with it. What apps and visualisations can you make with this data? We want to see how the data changes the way you see the world.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2013/feb/12/government-data-free-our-data">Continue reading...</a>Government dataFree our dataTechnologyTue, 12 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/2013/feb/12/government-data-free-our-dataPhotograph: guardian.co.ukA detail from Richard Cyganiak and Anja Jentzsch's "Linking Open Data dataset cloud" diagram. How can you visualise any open dataset?Photograph: guardian.co.ukA detail from Richard Cyganiak and Anja Jentzsch's "Linking Open Data dataset cloud" diagram. How can you visualise any open dataset?Simon Rogers2013-02-12T11:00:00ZNational Archives: where is the records backlog?https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/18/national-archives-data-release
New data shows exactly which departments are releasing all the records they are supposed to under the latest rules. What is going on?<br />• <a href="#data">Download the data</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a><p>For the first time the National Archives <a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/record-transfer-report.htm">has published data showing the volume of records held by government departments</a> and other public bodies from 1982 or earlier that have not yet been processed and opened to the public under the 30 year rule. They intend to update it every year.</p><p>It also shows the impact of the move to the 20 year rule which is being phased in from this year over the next 10 years. To start the move two years' worth of files covering 1983 and 1984 are being transferred to the National Archives this year. This data shows the volume of files from each department that will be involved. Two years' worth of files will be transferred every year until 2022 when the processs will be complete.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/18/national-archives-data-release">Continue reading...</a>National ArchivesUK newsGovernment dataPoliticsFree our dataTechnologyFreedom of informationOfficial Secrets ActLawFri, 18 Jan 2013 13:40:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/jan/18/national-archives-data-releasePhotograph: AlamyWhich records will we see? Photograph: AlamyPhotograph: AlamyWhich records will we see? Photograph: AlamyAlan Travis2013-01-18T13:40:00ZAnimation: our data journalism highlightshttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/31/animation-data-journalism
What did Guardian Data cover in the last year? <strong>Mona Chalabi</strong> has created this New Year's present for you with our animated highlights of the year - what will 2013 bring?<br /><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/dec/28/top-data-stories-2012">The year in data journalism (and charts)</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/31/animation-data-journalism">Continue reading...</a>EconomicsBusinessTechnologyData visualisationsUK newsWorld newsUS newsSportPoliticsGovernment dataFree our dataMon, 31 Dec 2012 18:37:35 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/31/animation-data-journalismPhotograph: GuardianPublic spending 2011-2012 graphics and interactive Photograph: GuardianPhotograph: GuardianPublic spending 2011-2012 graphics and interactive Photograph: GuardianMona Chalabi2012-12-31T18:37:35ZTEDx video: Data journalism and punkhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/28/data-journalism-tedx-punk
Is data journalism the new punk? Datablog editor <strong>Simon Rogers</strong> gave this talk at the recent <a href="http://www.tedxpantheonsorbonne.com/">TEDx Pantheon-Sorbonne</a> in Paris <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/28/data-journalism-tedx-punk">Continue reading...</a>Data journalismMediaData visualisationsTechnologyInternetFree our dataTEDFri, 28 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/28/data-journalism-tedx-punkPhotograph: guardian.co.ukTEDx logoPhotograph: guardian.co.ukTEDx logoSimon Rogers2012-12-28T13:00:00ZNamed and shamed: the worst government annual reports, 2012https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/04/departmental-reports-worst-named-shamed
Every year we try to break down public spending using government annual reports and accounts; and each year it just gets harder - with this year's being the most difficult yet. Why?<br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/dec/04/government-spending-department-2011-12 ">See the graphic and explore the data</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a><p>The point of naming and shaming government departments - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/27/department-resource-accounts-reports">as we did last year</a> - is to hope that they get better at releasing data. But one year on and our latest guide to public spending has been the hardest to get the information for - ever.</p><p>We get the data for this exercise from departmental annual reports. But it turns out these are the Millwall FC of government data releases - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Noonelikesus.ogg">"no one likes us and we don't care"</a>.</p><p>We want an army of armchair auditors scrutinising the public accounts to see whether government is providing value for money.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/04/departmental-reports-worst-named-shamed">Continue reading...</a>Autumn statement 2012Public sector cutsTax and spendingPoliticsPublic financeSocietyFree our dataGovernment dataCoins (Combined Online Information System)Tue, 04 Dec 2012 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/dec/04/departmental-reports-worst-named-shamedPhotograph: Roger Tooth/GuardianHow much does the government actually spend? Hard to tell from the official data. Photograph: Roger Tooth for the GuardianPhotograph: Roger Tooth/GuardianHow much does the government actually spend? Hard to tell from the official data. Photograph: Roger Tooth for the GuardianSimon Rogers2012-12-04T07:00:00ZFull US 2012 election county-level results to downloadhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/07/us-2012-election-county-results-download
Looking for the raw election data to download for yourself as open data? This data shows the full results we have for each US county. What can you do with it?<br />• <a href="#data">Download the data</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-elections-2012/results/president">Interactive guides to the results</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a><p><em>Click heading to filter results</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/07/us-2012-election-county-results-download">Continue reading...</a>US elections 2012US newsWorld newsBarack ObamaMitt RomneyFree our dataWed, 14 Nov 2012 15:20:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/nov/07/us-2012-election-county-results-downloadPhotograph: Will Oliver/AFP/Getty ImagesGet the full county level results downloaded. A patriotic party goer awaits election results at the US Embassy in London. Photograph: Will Oliver/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Will Oliver/AFP/Getty ImagesGet the full county level results downloaded. A patriotic party goer awaits election results at the US Embassy in London. Photograph: Will Oliver/AFP/Getty ImagesSimon Rogers and Feilding Cage2012-11-14T15:20:00ZGovernment data PDF enthusiasts will be 'dealt with', says Maudehttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/17/open-government-data-pdfs
Most government departments breaching Coalition's own transparency rules<br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a><p>Nearly every major department could be in breach of the government's own open data license, after Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude committed to force them to publish their spending data in transparent formats today.</p><p>The Minister, in charge of the government's transparency drive, said that departments who continue to publish the data in their annual reports in PDF format would be 'dealt with'.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/17/open-government-data-pdfs">Continue reading...</a>TechnologyFree our dataPoliticsGovernment dataCoins (Combined Online Information System)Francis MaudeUK newsLiberal-Conservative coalitionPublic Leaders NetworkTransparencyAdobeWed, 17 Oct 2012 11:11:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/17/open-government-data-pdfsPhotograph: Jenny Ridley/GuardianOur guide to public spending combines data from annual reports. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/26/government-spending-department-2010-11">Click here to see last year's</a>Photograph: Jenny Ridley/GuardianOur guide to public spending combines data from annual reports. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/26/government-spending-department-2010-11">Click here to see last year's</a>Simon Rogers2012-10-17T11:11:00ZJoin our live debate on data, aid and censorship | Videohttps://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/oct/09/guardian-google-data-international-development
Join Guardian Data and Google for our first ever live debate on the role of data in international development – and pose your questions for the panel<br />• <a href="#submit">Submit your question</a><br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/oct/01/aid-transparency-google-data-viz-competition">Take part in our competition and win $2,000</a><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">Guardian Data</a> and Google will be hosting their first ever live event tonight, Tuesday 16 October – focusing on the role data has to play in policy making and transparency around international development and foreign aid.</p><p>Running in the evening from 7pm to 9pm at Guardian HQ, this unique event will explore the key datasets behind the stories, bringing them to life and drawing on the expertise of those who know the numbers inside out.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/oct/09/guardian-google-data-international-development">Continue reading...</a>Media & Tech NetworkFree our dataTechnologyGlobal developmentDevelopment dataData visualisationsInternetTue, 09 Oct 2012 11:23:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/oct/09/guardian-google-data-international-developmentPhotograph: CorbisPlanet earth viewed from space. Photograph: CorbisPhotograph: CorbisPlanet earth viewed from space. Photograph: CorbisRobin Hough2012-10-09T11:23:00ZHow devolution is killing open government datahttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/09/devolution-national-statistics-data
<strong>Simon Rogers:</strong> Getting statistics for the whole of the United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - is getting trickier as the regions move politically further apart. The problem is, it's killing national open data too. This is how we could fix that<br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a><p>Are you British or Scottish? Do you live in the UK or England &amp; Wales?</p><p>It matters because statistics - the way we actually have any idea about where we live - are increasingly not available for the UK as a nation. </p><p>""Britain's" young adults? and the map shows Scotland, Wales and England. Not bothered about Northern Ireland, The isle of Man and the Channel Islands, then - or are they not part of Britain?"</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/09/devolution-national-statistics-data">Continue reading...</a>UK newsScotlandNorthern IrelandWalesOffice for National StatisticsScottish independenceFree our dataTechnologyGovernment dataPoliticsDevolutionTue, 09 Oct 2012 06:30:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/oct/09/devolution-national-statistics-dataPhotograph: GuardianBut is it the whole country? <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/24/happiness-wellbeing-map-britain">Map of happiness indicators</a>Photograph: GuardianBut is it the whole country? <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/24/happiness-wellbeing-map-britain">Map of happiness indicators</a>Simon Rogers2012-10-09T06:30:00ZEuropeana opens up data on 20 million cultural itemshttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/sep/12/europeana-cultural-heritage-library-europe
<a href="http://jonathangray.org/">Jonathan Gray</a> from the <a href="http://okfn.org/">Open Knowledge Foundation</a> looks at the significance of today's release of open data from Europeana<p>Europe's digital library <a href="http://www.europeana.eu/portal/">Europeana</a> has been described as the 'jewel in the crown' of the sprawling web estate of EU institutions.</p><p>It aggregates digitised books, paintings, photographs, recordings and films from over 2,200 contributing cultural heritage organisations across Europe - including major national bodies such as the British Library, the Louvre and the Rijksmuseum.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/sep/12/europeana-cultural-heritage-library-europe">Continue reading...</a>EuropeOpen access scientific publishingOpen journalismOpen sourceEuropean UnionGovernment dataFreedom of informationFree our dataScienceScienceWed, 12 Sep 2012 11:27:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/sep/12/europeana-cultural-heritage-library-europePhotograph: Graphic<a href="http://www.europeana.eu/portal/">Europeana</a> opens up data on 20 million cultural itemsPhotograph: Graphic<a href="http://www.europeana.eu/portal/">Europeana</a> opens up data on 20 million cultural itemsJonathan Gray2012-09-12T11:27:00ZFree the green belt: a quest to map England's green belthttps://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/aug/20/green-belt-mapping
Currently there is no open, shareable map of the national green belt and more importantly, with existing data, it's not possible to make one. <strong>Alasdair Rae</strong> explains the story behind the green belt data <br /><br />• <a href="#data">Get the data</a><p>It's widely known that towns and cities in the United Kingdom are - in theory at least - protected from urban sprawl by the existence of statutory green belt land. &nbsp;However, precisely where all this land lies is not widely known. In England, as of 2011, about 13% of land across 186 local authorities was designated as green belt but anyone trying to pinpoint exactly where it all is soon runs into difficulties, as this freedom of information request clearly <a href="http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/foi_request_greenbelt_boundaries?unfold=1">shows</a>. </p><p>Current changes to the <a href="www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/2116950.pdf">planning system</a>(PDF), and calls to release more land to house <a href="www.theguardian.com/uk/datablog/2012/jul/16/2011-census-results-data">a growing population</a>, make this green belt data deficit all the more frustrating, particularly given the government claim that it 'attaches great importance to green belts' (National Planning Policy Framework, Chapter 9, p.19). <a href="www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lagreenbelt2010">General data</a> on green belt land in England are available from the Department for Communities and Local Government, yet no freely accessible national online map of the green belt is currently available.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/aug/20/green-belt-mapping">Continue reading...</a>Green economyEnvironmentUK newsOpen journalismOpen sourceMapping technologiesFree our dataFreedom of informationMapsMon, 20 Aug 2012 12:51:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/aug/20/green-belt-mappingPhotograph: GraphicGreen belt Photograph: GraphicPhotograph: GraphicGreen belt Photograph: GraphicAlasdair Rae2012-08-20T12:51:00ZLondon 2012: is this the first open data Olympics?https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/03/london-2012-olympics-open-data
Is London 2012 a haven for open data? Get our verdict<br />• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/data">Data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian</a><p>Is this the first open data Olympics?</p><p>It should be - we have access to better data analysis and visualisation tools than ever before, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/mar/28/data-visualisation-tools-free">many of them free</a>. There is also a culture of open data around the world that just wasn't there in 2008. Governments have thrown open the doors to their data vaults and numbers are everywhere. </p><p>• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/aug/01/if-michael-phelps-were-a-country">If Michael Phelps were a country, how big would he be?</a> <br>Bigger than India, it turns out, if you use the International Olympics Committee ranking of medals which puts gold above silver and silver above bronze<br>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/aug/02/olympics-2012-ye-shiwen-400-medley-statistics-data">How good was Yi Shiwen's performance really?</a><br>Visualising how China's swimmer's record has improved over time<br>• <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/jul/30/olympics-2012-alternative-medal-table">Who would top the alternative medal table</a> if you ranked by GDP or population instead of just medals?<br>We worked with a team of statisticians from imperial college to rank each country</p><p>Can you please clarify what you mean by "open data"?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/03/london-2012-olympics-open-data">Continue reading...</a>Olympic Games 2012Free our dataData journalismTechnologyInternational Olympic CommitteeLocogTeam GBMediaOpen journalismOlympic GamesFri, 03 Aug 2012 14:02:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/03/london-2012-olympics-open-dataPhotograph: Paul Scruton/GuardianHow open has the Olympic data been? Illustration: Paul ScrutonPhotograph: Paul Scruton/GuardianHow open has the Olympic data been? Illustration: Paul ScrutonSimon Rogers2012-08-03T14:02:00Z